william f



(No Model.)

W. I'. COSTON. PYROLPEGHNIG SIGNAL HOLDER.

No. 570,458. Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

lill

UNITED STATES WVLLLIAM F. (OUTON,

'PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEr YORK, h'. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,458, dated Novernloei` 8, 1896.

Application iile'd Tune 26, 1893.

J0 @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM F. tosroN, et' New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Signals7 of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to what are commonly known in the art as Coston signals, in which a cart-ridge, charged to produce colored lights when ignited, is also provided with a primer or igniting device and 4adapted to be inserted temporarily in a han- K dle or holder, which is provided with a ring` pin to act upon the primer.

rlhe Iirst improvement relates to the cartridge, having in view cheapness ofeonstruetion and `iirnI and speedy connection with thp handle or holder.

The second improvement relates to a locking device for the firing-pin, intended to prevent the accidental tiring of the signal in the event of its being dropped or of the firing-pin being accidentally struck.

Figure ,lA is a perspective view et' my in1 proved signal complete and ready-for liring. Eig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the saine, the iiring-pin being in its locked condition. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 S oi Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4; is a perspective view of the base portion of the cartridge. Fig. 5 is a central section through the lower part of the handle, showing the tiring-pin in its unlocked condition.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a tubular handle or holder adapted to be grasped in the hand and provided at its upper end with a tube or socket rl., intended to receive the lower end of the cartridge, and provided near its upper end with three or more inwardly-projecling stops or Alugs e.

i3 represents the cartridge or signal proper, consisting et a top of any suitable torni and material containing the combustible charge and firmly fixed at its lower end to the hase block l), which is commonly made of wood or other cheap material in the form represented in Fig. fl. Its lower end is made oi' suitable diameter to lit within thc'socketf/and is provided with three vertical grooves b to admit of its being slipped downward past the lugs. The hase-block is grooved circu'mfcrentially,

Serial No. 478,798. (No model.)

as shown at lf3, so that after being inserted it may be turned so as te carry the portion be`r its neck or grooved portion, as shown in Figs.

3 and el, so that when the lock carrying the .v

cartridge is inserted and given a partial rotation Vthis pin lr will encounter one-ol the studs ci of the socket, as shown in Fig. i3, preventing further rotation.

The wooden hase -bloclg constructed as above with the circumferential and vertical grooves and the stop-pin b, may he made very cheaply and serves as a simple andellicient means ot' securing the cartridge to the holder without danger oi its being accidentally disconnected.

For the purpose ol' igniting the cartridge I employ the tiring-pin C, extending longitudinally through the socket, its lower protruding end being provided with a head or hutton and its upper end pointed or otherwise formed to enter the hase of the cartridge and ignite the primer. This pin is surrounded by a spiral spring D, hearing at its lower end against a nut or sleeve ll, fixed on the firingpin, and at the upper end against a plate F, loosely held in the socket rl and retained 'therein bythe lugs a when the cartridge-block is removed. Then the block is inserted, the pla-te is pushed back therehyand rests against the hase of the same under the pressure ot' the spring. The vtiring-pin is thus normally held in a retracted position by the spring and is driven forward against the force ofthe saine when the cartridge is to he li red. .lhis firing apparatus is essentially the saine as in the signal handle or holder luretefore lnade -by lllC.

Unless means are employed to prevent there is danger of the signal being accidentally ignited by reason of accidental contact with the liring-pin. I attach to the side ot' the handlea long springarm G, the lower end ot` which is perforated tor the passage olthelringpin, which. latter is provided with a groove er notch ll in such. position that when the liring-pin is retracted the springautomatcallyengages in thenotch,

To avoid this difficulty,-

IOO

. driven forward in the ordinary manner.

lVhile I prefer to employ a locking device in the form shown, it is to be understood that anyother latch orlocking device of an equivalent character may be used.

lVhat I claim as my invention isl. In a signal the combination with the handle constructed to hold a signal-cartridge at ones, end, of a manually-operated longitudi nallysliding firing-pin mounted in said hanl die with its rear end exposed,- a spring acting on said pin and tending normally to retract the same, and an automatic locking device in position to engage and hold the pin in a retracted posit-ion, said locking device constructed to be operated by the hand to release A the pin,

2. In a signal the 'combination with the handie constructed to hold a signalncartridge at the exposed portion of the pin and arrangei'l to enter the notch therein when the pin is retracted and to hold the same in .its retracted p osition, said locking device constructed to be operated by the hand torelease the pin.

The improved handle for a signal-cartridge of the type described comprising a body yportion adapted to be grasped by the hand and formed to receive and retain a signalcartridge, a llongitudinally sliding iiring pin mounted in said body with its rear end exposed and provided with a notch, a springarin fixed at one end to the body portion extending longitudinally along the side of the saine and having its opposite free end bent laterally at the rear of the body portion, perforated to receive thefiring-pin and tending normally to engage the same and enter the notch therein when retracted; whereby the ring-pin is held in a'retracted position by the spring-arm, and the latter is adapted to be included in the grasp when the handle is held and thereby enabled to be conveniently operated to unlock the pin and permit its advance.

In testimony whereof I` hereunto set my hand, this Sth day of June, 1893, in the p resL/"J-I ence of two attesting witnesses.

WILLIAM l. COSTON. Witnesses:

i PHIL. T. DODGE, W. S. CHASE. 

